The development of the property began in 1998 with a lovely, energy-efficient modern house, surrounded by rather old-fashioned flower gardens bordered by grass (mown meadow, really), and a big, high-production vegetable garden with fruit trees and berries. In 2012, it became apparent that a switch to permaculture principles could be used to transform the property and create abundance, sustainability, and a more sustainable profile.

One of our permaculture goals has been to replace a lot of the existing “lawn” with beds , traditional and hugelkutur (http://www.appropedia.org/Hugelkultur ) filled with additional food-producing plants, trees and bushes.

We will also, of course, continue tending the established vegetable garden. There is a long-term goal to create a food forest in the upper two acres of the property. There is ample water for irrigation, and an underground irrigation system has been in use for years. We need to continue to tweak the irrigation system so it’s more effective and uses less water.